Master's Degree in Public Relations

Master of Arts

Enhance your understanding and skills in the strategic field of public relations with our master of arts degree. It’s certified by the Public Relations Society of America which highlights the quality of our curriculum, resources, facilities and university support of our program.

Also, we have expanded our course offerings to include the highly sought-after skills employers are looking for, as reported by Burning Glass Technologies. Stay competitive in your career with the following skills for success:

Strategic communication development

Market research

Competitive communication analysis

Social media and digital analytics

Digital marketing communication

Project planning and development

Discover why a Master's in PR from us is the right choice for your career advancement with our informational video.

You will always have easy access to your professors and classmates through our social media channel such as Slack and Facebook.

Course Requirements

This 33- to 39-credit program was designed so that you can finish in five semesters, taking just two or three classes per semester. You can start the program during any of our traditional semesters in the fall, spring, or summer.

Not Quite Ready for a Master's Degree?

If you’re thinking about graduate school but haven’t quite settled on our master’s program, then our certificates are a great way to get started. You can earn a certificate (either online or a blend on online and on campus) then later apply those credits toward a master’s. We offer two options for public relations students: corporate communications and education communications.

Course Delivery Options

If you complete your degree on campus, you will have access to state-of-the-art facilities, including the DepartComent of Journalism's new Holden Strategic Communications Center, Integrated Media Lab, and Unified Media Lab.

You will also have the opportunity to participate in student media and client service organizations, including:

You may also be able to work as a graduate assistant, which provides a tuition waiver, an opportunity for an academic-year stipend, and excellent experience working with departmental faculty and staff.

A majority of our students earn their MA in public relations degree completely online. You will receive the same high-quality instruction from the same distinguished faculty as on-campus students. Plus, Ball State’s online programs are consistently nationally ranked and recognized.

As an online student, you can take classes through an asynchronous format, meaning you can interact when convenient for class participation. Most of our online students are working professionals who enroll in an average of two courses each semester. Many find that they advance within their workplace or land new jobs even as they are completing their master’s degrees with Ball State.

If you are a graduate assistant or live within commuting distance of our main campus in Muncie, Indiana, the blended method gives you the best of the online and on-campus worlds.

You can take some classes online and some classes on the beautiful Ball State campus. You will enjoy the convenience of online instruction combined with face-to-face interaction with faculty and students.

You must also meet the admission requirements of the Department of Journalism, which include:

A cumulative undergraduate grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale

A current résumé

A 500- to 1,000-word statement of purpose

Academic or professional writing sample(s) of between 1,500 and 2,000 words (total)

Application Deadlines

Your application materials need to be to us four weeks prior the start of the semester you wish to begin. Our semester start dates are:

Fall: Third Monday in August

Spring: First Monday in January

Summer: Second Monday in May

International Students

If you are an international student, you must first complete the requirements of our Rinker Center for International Programs explained in detail on the International Admissions page.

Application

Are you interested in our master’s in public relations? Then it’s time to apply. You will need to follow a two-part process in which you’re admitted to both Ball State’s Graduate School and the program itself.